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Crystal-Clear – Protection for LED Chips

Light and Lighting

Solid Silicones

The revolution is already well underway. Light from LEDs (light emitting diodes) dominates our living rooms, our offices, schools, streets and cars. Where lighting is still provided by conventional luminaires, it will be replaced by LEDs before too long. According to the Boston Consulting Group, six out of every ten luminaires retailed in 2020 will be LEDs. And for professional applications, the share will be as high as 80 percent.

Cleanroom for high-performance silicones in Jincheon, South Korea

Optical lenses made of highly transparent silicone

Test rig for LED luminaires

Analysis of encapsulants and thermally conductive silicones

Far Eastern Developments

Growth will be generated mainly in Asia. Electronics companies in countries such as Japan, South Korea and China are designing ever more efficient luminaires. That is why WACKER is developing high-performance silicones – without which the current boom in LED performance would not be possible – in Pangyo, South Korea’s Silicon Valley. “We are in constant contact with the local electronics companies,” says Dr. JeonHan Kim, head of the Center of Electronics Excellence (CoEE) in Pangyo. “Speed is everything in this business. We often have only a few months in which to supply our customers with new silicone materials.”

Silicone gel for LED luminaires

Dr. JeongHan Kim is head of the Electronics Competence Center in Pangyo, South Korea.

“Our silicones provide the key material properties for the luminaires of tomorrow.”

Dr. JeongHan KimHead of the Electronics Competence Center

High-Tech Protection for LED Chips

The increase in light output makes greater demands on the encapsulation of the sensitive LED chips, and silicones from WACKER have proven particularly suitable for this. They protect the electronic components against mechanical influences and corrosive airborne pollutants such as sulfur.

They act as optical lenses, deflecting the light. Special additives can also be used to modify the light color. One property is essential: the silicone must be crystal-clear and must not yellow at high temperatures. “We develop silicones specifically tailored to the specifications of high-performance LEDs,” explains JeongHan Kim, who, with his team, also develops silicone gels for non-reflective displays. “Our silicones provide the key material properties for the luminaires of tomorrow.”